<p>I'm going to have enough AP credits that I can graduate college in 3 (possibly 2.5) years instead of 4. From what I've read, medical schools seem not to like that for some reason, so should I just stay an extra year and get my masters (most likely in some sort of engineering)? Or possibly another BA (though I think that'd be harder to do in a year)?</p>
<p>Not a bad idea, but why engineering?</p>
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Reason? They may believe an older applicant is more mature and a more mature person is more capable of taking care of others.</p>
<p>Also, staying one (or even 2) year may help with your life experience and ECs, which are at least as important as “getting a master”, which not many adcoms seem to care very much – unless you are into the research/MSTP.</p>
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I like physics and would like to have a degree I feel safe in incase I’m one of the 50% that never gets into medical school.</p>
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Well that’s disheartening.</p>
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<p>The problem with this is that med schools don’t like being someone’s backup (or the appearance that someone isn’t fully committed to medicine) - this is why “health professions” majors like BSN, etc don’t fare well in the admissions game. The question becomes, “why did you prepare yourself for another career if you want to become a doctor?” - undergrad engineering majors escape this perception, but a masters degree is less likely to do so. So a double major to keep you in for 4 years is probably a better option.</p>
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…It’s not. Engineering is.</p>
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If asked in an interview, I’ll give the answer I gave here. </p>
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I don’t think that’s an option. I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep a high enough GPA doing an intensive engineering program and a major in something else. Unless it’s something with enough classes similar to engineering that I can do it in that free year.</p>
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<p>note the parenthetical part of my post</p>
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<p>Good luck with that. The accepted “correct” answer to the question “what would you do if you don’t get in?” is “I would improve my application and apply again next year”, not “well, thats why I was an engineering major”… Again, med schools don’t like to give their spots to someone who isn’t (or at least convincingly gives the appearance of being) completely dedicated to medicine. They have the luxury of doing this because most schools have 40+ applicants per available seat.</p>
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<p>But you will be able to finish one degree in 2.5 years with a “high enough” GPA? OK then…</p>
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Well said. I think every premed should remember this aspect of application by heart. Having demonstrated that you are good in a particular field is not good enough. If that field could lead to another lucrative career path, you as an applicant had better to have “good” explanations. Experienced medical school adcoms may have built up some “BS sensor” which have been honed to perfection over many years so that they can sense it a mile away when you are not dedicated to medicine, e.g., having been majored in a ‘hot’ major (in terms of job market) which leads to another lucrative career.</p>
<p>Once in a while in the past, some CCers might complain that the professional schools like medical schools seem to prefer “gentleman intellectuals” (many of those may have more liberal-art-ish college experience – is this one of the reasons why many top-tier LAC graduates are relatively more successful as premeds?!) when they are UGs. But this is another topic. An applicant can receive similar education at a big state university – He just needs to be not overly vocational oriented. After all, I heard MCAT is more a reading comprehension test rather than a science/engineering achievement test.</p>